This book provides a process for discovering and activating spiritual gifts in your congregation. It is not a typical scientific survey designed to discover what kind of personality you have, what you feel like doing, or even what your talents are. Instead, it is a process designed to help a church congregation discover God's gifts and leading in their lives. In going through this process you will be invited to shake off some of the walls and limitations you have placed on yourself and open yourself up to the full call that God has on your life. Discovering and using your Spiritual Gifts is an adventure!
Henry E. Neufeld is the owner of Energion Publications. His major statement of faith and his vision for the church can be found in his book Not Ashamed of the Gospel: Confessions of a Liberal Charismatic, and involves a call to demonstrate our love for God by loving our neighbors as ourselves, and engaging in dialogue rather than conflict.
Henry is the son of Seventh-day Adventist missionaries, and was raised and educated in the Seventh-day Adventist church. Though he is no longer a Seventh-day Adventist, he still respects that heritage and tries to maintain contacts and relationships with people in his former denomination.
He received his BA in Biblical Languages from Walla Walla College and his MA in Religion, concentrating in Biblical and Cognate languges from Andrews University. He did one quarter additional work in linguistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, and also completed an Associate of Applied Science degree in Interpreting and Translating from the Community College of the Air Force while on active duty.
He left both the church and church service following his graduate education. He served in the U. S. Air Force for 10 years as a linguist. He returned to the church in a United Methodist congregation (Pine Forest United Methodist Church in Pensacola, FL) where, in 1995 he was one of the founders of Pacesetters Bible School, a non-profit organization dedicated to lay education and pastoral continuing education.
Henry hopes that his own books, and those published by Energion Publications will help build the kingdom of God.
He lives in Cantonment, FL with his wife of nearly 10 years. They have three children, John (who coaches), Janet (she and her husband are pastors in Ft. Worth, TX), and James who has gone on to be with the Lord. They have five grandchildren.
